Self-propelled vehicle.



C. W. COLEMAN, DEGD.

K. COLEMAN, ADMINISTRATRIX.

SELF PROPBLLED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY4, 1909.

Patented NOV. 4, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C W 55120011 loz QNN a H M @AQ? C. W. COLEMAN, DECD.

K. oonnun, ADMINISTBATBIX.

SELF PROPBLLED VEHICLE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY4, 1909.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913 4 GHEBTS -BHEET 2.

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K; COLEMAN, ADMINISTRATKIX.

SELF PROPELLED VEHICLE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 4, 1909.

Patentpd Nov; 4, 1913.

4 EHEETSSHEET 3 meooco: 6, A9.

(L W. COLEMAN, DECD.

K. COLEMAN, ADMINISTRATRIX.

SELF PROPELLBD VEHICLE.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 4, 1909.

1,077,598. Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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WVm momo W 9 M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, OF WES'IFTELD, NEW JERSEY; KATHARINE COLEMAN ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, DECEASED.

SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentctt Nov. 4, 1913.

Application filed May 4, 1905. Serial No. 493,819.

T 0 all 21 7mm it may concern Be it known that I. CLARENCE \V. Conn the carriage, the controlling mechanism for the engine or carriage being controllal'ile from the apparatus propelledthereby.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a flexible, mechanical connector for steering the vehicle and one or more flexible mechanical connectors for controlling; the engine, the ends of the connector being supported on the propelled apparatus and on the :arriagc carrying the engine respectively and the connector having: sutlicient slack to adapt itself to the various distances between the engine carriage and the propelled apparatus. when ditlcrent kinds of apparatus are connected to the carriage.

Vith the above and other objects in View my invention consists of the parts, improvements and combinations m re fully pointed out h reinafter.

Referring now to the drawings which are attached to the spccifitaltion and form a part thereof l ieure l is a side elevation of the traction vehicle. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the traction vehicle partlv broken away at the rear end. Fig. 3 is a detail in section of part of the steering mechanism. Fig. 4 is a. detail of one form of flc'xil'ile connector used. Fig. 5 is a cross section of another species of flexible connector used. Fig. (i is a detailed plan view of the second species of flexible connector used. Fig. 7 is a detail in section of part of the clutch mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detailed view, partly in section showin; a clutch and driving mechanism. Fig). 9 is a. sectional detail of the standard and steering wheel shown in F in. i. Fig. '10 is a cross section of thc flexible connectors in their inclosing tube. Fig. ll is a detail showing one of the friction clutches.

The traction vehicle comprises av carriage 1 having a floor 52 on. which a suitable engine I, is mounted. The engine is prefer ahl y a gas engine and as shown has the usual cylinders 4, 5 and is supplied with fuel through the pipe (3 and branch pipe 7 from a reservoir (not shown). The engine carriage is mounted on a pair of wheels The apparatus propelled by the engine may be widely varied. Tn the particular con struction indicated it consists of an agricultural in'iplemcnt. viz: a plow 10. Suitable means are provided for detachably securing the plow or other implement to the en 'inc carriage. As illustrated the bolts ll pas in? through the floor 2 of the engine carriage and the reach 12 are used for this pnrp! Suitable means are provided for steer the traction vehicle and particularly steering the engine carriage. which m may be widely varied. As ilh'istralesi Lac wheels 8, 9 may be shifted by the steering mechanism to accomplish this result. The wheels are therefore mounted to rotate on short sleeves 13, 14, "the hubs 1:). 16 ot wheels. rotating on the sleeves and the sleeves bcinp pivoted at 1T. 38. i it spectively to the axle tree 21. Th shaft which is driven by the en; ;i|1c ha can t i it the wheels 8. f). the ends fl of shaft being rigidly secured to the wt by caps 25 which lit ovcr souar d ends of the shaft. The shaft. is coni'iccted to the ends 23, 2 1- by joints 3]. and 320 so as to pcrmitshifting the wheels to guide the vc-- hicle while they are being rotated. The joint it] is Formed by connecting the shaft 52?) by pin 32 to pin which teri'ninates in U1) bracket 34- rigidly secured to the end shaft 22). The joint 2120 i corre p:.ndingrly constructed.

Suitable means are provided for shittine. the wheels to steer. the details of hich may be widely varied. The sleeves if 14: have secured thereto arms, 35, 30 to which links 37. 38 are connected. The links 37, 38 are pivoted together at 39 to simplify the construction. A bell crank lever 40 pivoted at 41 to the floor of the engine carriage transmits the steering movement to the links 38. the propelled apparatus and to adapt the constructioi'i to diil'erent makes and types of implements, l provide a flexible connector which in the best-Haliodimcnt of the invcn tion has sutlicient slack and is large enough to adapt itself to various distances between engine and propelled apparatus. Its ends In order to control the steering from are supported by the engine carriage and pro elled apparatus respectively. The kind of exible connector may be varied. I have illustrated two species of connector in the ber slides within the compression member.-

In the best embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, the compression member is a flexible, tubular member made up of a coiled spring 42 and the tension member consists of a cylindrical wire 43 passing through the compression member. A cover 44 may be used to protect the flexible connector from moisture.

The ends of the flexible connector used for steering are supported on the engine carriage and frame of the propelled vehicle respectively. Thus the compression members 42 have their ends anchored at 44 and 45 and the tension member 43 which is connected to bell crank 40 at one end passes around the drum 46 on the frame of the propelled apparatus. Suitable means are provided in the best embodiment of the invention for carrying the ends of the various flexible connectors in such a way that the entire group of ends may be readily dismounted and remounted when another vehicle or implement is to be propelled. I provide a standard 47 which is removably secured as by means of bolts 48 to the implement frame. The standard 47 carries at its upper end a socket which receives a fixed shaft 480 on which the wheel 46 is free to turn being held in place by bracket 51. Suitable means are provided for turning the wheel 46. I manually control, the steering apparatus by means of a hand wheel 50 carried by a. bracket 51 secured to the standard 47, the wheel driving a shaft 52 to which is secured worm engaging a worm wheel 54 secured to the wheel 46 by sleeve It will be observed that by turning the hand wheel 50 the tension wire 43 passing through the compression members 42 rocks the bell crank 40 and shifts the wheels 8 9.

Means are provided for connecting and disconnecting the engine 3 from the drive shaft 22. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated this means includes a flexible connector which controls a clutch. The drive shaft 22 has mounted thereon the usual diflerential gear carried in the casing 56.

A gear 57 secured to the casing 56 drives the shaft 22 through the differential. Suite able means which may be widely varied are provided for driving the gear 57. As shown a counter shaft 58 carries gears 59, 60, 61, 32 to give two speeds forward and one speed in backing, the latter movement being accomplished by gear 62 through an auxiliary shaft 63 carrying gears 64 and 65.

The means for clutching and unclutching the engine from the driven mechanism may be widely varied. As illustrated, the hollow engine shaft 66 carries disks 67 secured thereto. Gears (58, (39, 70 are freely supported on the shaft 66, so that normally the shaft turns within the gears. The gears, 68, 69, 70 have toothed portions 71, 72, 73 respectively engaging the corresponding gears (30, 61, 65. They are also provided with friction clutch surfaces 74, 75, 76 respectively with which engage clutch straps 77, 78, 79. These clutch straps have one end as at 80 secured by screws 81 to the disk 67 and have their other end secured by an adjustable take up 82 consisting of a screw and nut, to an arm 83. The arm 83 is pivoted at 84 to an arm 86 so as to form a pair of jaws, pressed inwardly by spring 860, and carries at one end a roller 85. The arm 86 likewise carries a roller 87 and is pivoted at 88 to the disk 67. As the shaft 60 rotates, carrying with it disk 67 and jaws 83 and strap 77, the latter slides freely over the clutch face of the corresponding gear 08. By sliding the plug 89 in and out, any one pair of jaws 83, 86 may be operated to clutch the corresponding gear to the engine shaft.

In accordance with the invention, I provide a flexible connector for operating the clutch from the propelled vehicle or implement. lVith one end of the rod 90, engaging the collar 91, the arm 92 cooperates, the arm 92 forming part of bell crank 93 actuated by tension members 94, 95 slid ng within compression members 96, 97. the latter anchored. at 98 to the engine frame and at 99 to the standard 47.

A hand operated lever 100 pivoted intermediate its length has secured thereto the ends of the tension members 94, 95, on opposite sides of the, pivot. W'hcn the lever 100 is rocked the clutch is thrown in and out and the extent of the movement of the lever and its direction determine the particular clutch which is thrown in. which speed is used and whether the vehicle is to go backward as will be readily understood. A spring pressed pawl and fixed ratchet hold the lever 100 in position.

i uitable means which may be widely varied control the advance or retard of the sparking, in other words control the timing device. As illustrated the timer 104 is driven by gears 105. 106, 107 from the engine shaft. A flexible connector controls the timer which in the form illustrated includes a tension member 108 and compression member 109, the latter anchored at llOand 111 to the Vehicle frame. Two tension members in the form of wires 108 and two compres sion members in the form of guides 109 are used. A hand lever 112 supported by standard 47 actuates or sets the timing device backward or forward.

Suitable means are provided for controlling the supply of fluid to the engine. As illustrated a throttle valve is located in supply pipe 6 and is controlled by an arm 113 on the valve stem. Two tension members 114, 115 are connected to the arm and pass through compression members 116, 117 which are anchored at 118 and 119 to the vehicle frame, the latter anchor being carried by standard 47. A hand lever 120 pivoted at 121 to an arm projecting from standard 47, has secured thereto the ends of the tension members 114, 115. A spring pressed pawl 122 and fixed ratchet 123 hold the lever in position.

Suitable means are provided for applying a brake and stopping the engine and vehicle. The brake shoe 125 pivoted at 126 is pulled by spring 127 away from the fly wheel 1:28 of the engine and is applied by a flexible tension member 129 sliding in the flexible compression member 130 anchored at 131 to the engine frame and at the other end to the standard 47. A foot lever 132 has its upper end connected to the tension member 129, the lower end being actuated by the foot to apply the brake.

In order to simplify the construction, I surround the flexible connectors with a flexible guideway 133 secured at 134 and 135 to standards 47 and 136 res .ctively. The flexible connectors are preferably of different sizes according to their power as clearly shown in Fig. 10.

In the species of the members shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a trough like container 137 is used containing the slide 138. The trough and slide are flexible in one plane only and owing to their stiffness each of them can be used as both compression and tension member. The plow 10 or other implement is raised and lowered by being pivoted at 140 and by lever 141 and link 142 as will be readily understood. The seat 143 is arranged so that all the parts may be readily controlled by an operator sitting on the seat 143.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the above \iescription. The flexible connectors form a simple, mechanical connection between the parts and by merely unbolting the standard 47 and the bolts 11, another implement or vehicle may be attached to the engine, quickly and securely Having thus described my invention it will be obvious that many changes may be made by the manufacturer or engineer employed to carry the invention into effect without departing from the principle of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secnre by Letters' Patent is:

1. The combination of a tractor vehicle having steering wheels jointed to the driving axle and mechanically connected to swing in unison, a propelling engine mounted upon said vehicle, a distinct tractor-advanced apparatus detachably connected to said vehicle and at some distance from said engine and wheels. a manually operated device carried by said apparatus, and a deta chable flexible connection for transmitting manual controlling power from said device to said wheels for steering said vehicle, said connection having a length adapting it for use with a variety of tractor-advanced apparatuses.

2. The combination of a tractor vehicle having propelling wheels and a driving en-' gine, a distinct tractor-advanced apparatus detachably connected to said vehicle, devices,

borne by said vehicle for controlling the application of the engines power, operatoractuated mechanism carried with said apparatus, and a flexible and detachable connection for mechanically transmitting power from said mechanism to said controlling devices, said connection being of suflicient length to permit its use with a variety of such tractor-advanced apparatuses.

3. The combination with a tractor vehicle having its steering wheels jointed to its driving axle to swing in unison, a propelling engine carried by said vehicle, a distinct tractor-advanced apparatus detachably connected to said vehicle, a flexible and detachable connection, for 1necl1aically transmitting steering power from said apparatus to said wheels, of sufficient length for permitting substitution of a variety of tractor-advanced apparatuses and comprising cooperating and mutually supporting flexible tension and compression members, one of said members being anchored at its opposite ends upon said vehicle and said apparatus, respectively, and the other member being operatively connected with said wheels, to swing them, and provided at the other end with a suitable op erating handle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

W. F. Brssnvo, SARAH FLOCK. 

